Standing Outside the Trading Post

Standing around talking about Burnham Junction

This one Navajo Girl, Julye who was home from Alaska says, Yeah, I
remember that place well..also heard of stories of the ghost that hang
around there..calvary or Indians..although..now I forgot..hee hee..we
always used to stop there to rest and get some water on the way back
from Toadlena.


Rustywire stood there with his mail in his hand and says, I remember
there was this one story, about a spot near Ford's Peak. Sometimes at
night, when there was no moon, they say that when a slight breeze
comes up you can see a flicker of light halfway up the rocks,
someplace up there, there is a blanket that covers a hole in the rock,
some say a cave and when you look just right you can catch a glimpse
of that firelight from inside. Some say that this is a place where the
witches gather. Sacrifices are made and you can tell because a chill
crawls up your back to touch your ears. When you try to turn and run
it is like stepping in quicksand your feet don't move, that is when
you know they are looking at you from there. They touch with their
thoughts and in a few minutes as you try to hide they can find you, in
the dark, in your secret place, they know where you are.


They make sacrifices and gamble with the darkside, they sing and run
on all fours. I remember hearing them as they ran by, and it was like
a pounding horse, but nothing was there, they came up fast and there
was no place to hide, out there on the flat land. where do you go
where there is no place to hide, you just run down the middle of the
road, one step at a time, going as fast as you can and then you feel
your wind and muscles ache, feeling like your feet are lead and your
breath grasps for air and you can't hear them because the sound of
your own breath is deafening, so you just run into the night. they see
you and know you and your family, but this night they have other
business and pass you by and there is nothing but stillness, quiet and
you don't turn around but just head on down the road anyway you can
with your skin crawling over you. so it goes with those yellow bones
some say that lay there at the base, some say an old Spanish soldier
or a mexican left behind centuries ago. is that the one you
remember...


Yeah, Julye says, Rustywire, is that what they call it..Ford's Peak?
the rock that is on the side of the road up the road from the Toadlena
turnoff going toward Shiprock? I remember when I was young and riding
in back of the truck after a week-end of going to a sheep dipping and
squaw dance and it was late we passed by that rock and there was a
fire up that way, way up there was where my mother told me was a cave
and skinwalkers went there to change and hold meetings. Once when I
hitchhiked and was stranded with two of my cousins a light like a
porch light was on, and it grew bigger and bigger till it lit up the
whole place and we could see our shadows looking like big giants on
the lonely desert road, it was very very scary, we didn't run but we
were very paranoid! This was around 2 - 3 in the morning, that was so
scary


Moon, she is standing around and says, ahe'hee(thanks) I remember some
sweet memories of windmill #5 off of BIA road 144,still go there now
and then to wash my hair from the lower pump cool water..What a
feeling!
I think the most daring thing I done in my life was when I was a kid,
taking a shower under the overflowing overhead tank..it was a parching
hot August afternoon , I got a whipping for it, but was worth it!


So they stood outside the trading post under the morning sun and
talked on about life on the Navajo rez.